"When I think of polka dots, the image that comes to mind is of my 88-year-old grandma getting ready for the day, slowly completing her favorite final step: tying her polka-dot babushka around her head. Like any trend, polka dots’ popularity has risen and fallen over the years, but it’s always felt next to impossible for me to separate them from being my grandma’s signature pattern and consider dressing in them myself… until now.
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The catalyst? When spring collections went down runways last September, it was clear that 2025’s polka dots aren’t exactly my grandma’s anymore. They were treated more like a neutral, with designers at Prada, Balmain, and Valentino featuring modern silhouettes that made the nostalgic pattern feel completely fresh. At Acne Studios, a short-sleeve polka dot tee with subtle boning was paired with exaggerated, barrel-leg jeans; at Moschino, a layered, fringed maxi dress managed to look futuristic with the help of sporty sunglasses and leather gloves.
While there’s no wrong way to style polka dots, if you’re looking for inspiration, try pairing them with contrasting colors and patterns to make them feel current instead of just cute. Opting to add a spotted basic to your wardrobe that you can mix and match with the rest of your closet will allow the styling to be pretty limitless—just treat them them like you would a neutral.
You can also dip your toe into the trend by opting to pair your polka dots with the black and white pieces you have in your closet for a fun take on the sandwich method. Pairing a polka dot top with your favorite denim can also bring a playful, youthful effect to an outfit that will feel particularly dopamine-inducing once the warm weather of spring hits.
Maddie Galassi, Senior Fashion & Beauty Editor
Madeline Galassi is the Fashion & Beauty Editor at The Everygirl, where she oversees the fashion and beauty categories of the site. She brainstorms, writes, and edits stories across a broad range of topics including trend reports, product reviews, celebrity style, and more. She’s always keeping a pulse on the latest trends to create timely, exciting content for our readers.